Coin separators



April 6, 1965 A. OKOLISCHAN 3,176,313

COIN SEPARATORS Filed Jan. 17, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

A /v70 0x01 mam/vs April 6, 1965 A. OKOLISCHAN COIN SEPARATORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1961 wrla-llufl Wm .m n RH N 7 m a m 0 Wm z 0 M w m 4 4 w I Sm I? 2 April 6, 1965 A. OKOLISCHAN 3,176,318

COIN SEPARATORS Filed Jan. 1?, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 38B 341/ /g '-26O 4 394 INVENTOR. Z FE L BY 4/vro/v O/ro z. wc/mw United States Patent C) 3,176,818 COIN SEPARATORS Anton Olrolischan, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to National Rejectors, Inc, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed .lan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,233 12 Claims. (Cl. 194-97) This invention relates to improvements in coin separators. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in coin separators which can separate rimmed coins from coins which do not have rims.

Some coins have substantially the same diameter, substantially the same electrical conductivity, and substantially the same resilience; and such coins may differ only in the respect that some of them have rims whereas others of them do not. To separate those coins automatically, it would be necessary to provide a coin separator that could separate rimmed coins from coins that do not have rims. The present invention provides such a coin separator, and that coin separator has relatively movable rim-engaging members. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coin separator that has relatively movable rim-engaging members.

It would be desirable to provide the relatively movable rim-engaging members of the coin separator with surfaces that could always coact with the sides of tested coins to subtend the same angle. Where this is done, coins of the same mass should be able to apply forces of the same magnitude to those relatively movable rim-engaging members; and this is desirable. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the relatively movable rim-engaging members of a coin separator with surfaces that can always coact with the sides of tested coins to subtend the same angle.

The surfaces of the relatively movable rim-engaging members of the coin separator of the present invention are conical. As a result, those surfaces can always coact with the sides of tested coins to subtend the same angle. That angle must be small enough to enable the masses of the tested coins to force those rim-engaging members to move apart, but that angle must be large enough to enable the apexes of those surfaces to engage those portions of the surfaces of the coins which abut the inner faces of the rims of those coins. The angle which meets these requirements is an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. The present invention equips the relatively movable rim-engaging members of a coin separator with conical surfaces having apex angles of approximately ninety degrees.

It would be desirable to make the relatively movable rim-engaging members of a coin separator so the rimengaging surfaces of those members project outwardly appreciable distances beyond the housings that support those rim-engaging members. Where that is done, there will be no risk of tested coins engaging and being held by those housings. It is therefore an object of the present invention to make the relatively movable rim-engaging members of a coin separator so the rim-engaging surfaces of those members project outwardly appreciable distances beyond the housings that support those rim-engaging members.

The period of time within which the relatively movable rim-engaging members of a coin separator must engage and attempt to hold the rim of a coin is necessarily limited; and if a coin to be tested is moving at an unduly high rate of speed, the period of time within which the relatively movable rim-engaging members of the coin separator are permitted to engage the rim of that coin may be insufficient to enable those rim-engaging members to hold that rim. The present invention makes cer- 3,l7e,3t8 Patented Apr. 6, 1%65 tain that the relatively movable rim-engaging members of the coin separator have sufficient time to engage and hold the rim of a coin; and it does so by intercepting all coins introduced into it and by forcing those coins to change direction before they can engage those rim-engaging members. As a result, the present invention makes certain that the relatively movable rim-engaging members of the coin separator have sufiicient time to engage and hold the rim of a coin even if the coin separator is spaced far enough below the level of the coin slot in a vending machine to enable the coins to be tested to develop a high speed before they reach that coin separator. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coin separator that intercepts all coins introduced into it and that forces those coins to change direction before they can engage the rim-engaging members of that coin separator.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description several preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a partially broken-away, front elevational view of one embodiment of coin separator that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a plane View of the coin separator of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional View through the coin separator of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4- is a sectional view through the coin separator of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the coin separator of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 5, but in FIG. 6 the rim-engaging movable members are abutting those portions of the coin faces which abut the inner faces of the rim of the coin,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through a modified form of the coin separator of FIG. 1,

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of coin separator that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the coin separator of FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through the coin separator of FIG. 8, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line Ill-16 in FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 is a sectional view through the coin separator of FIG. 8, and it is taken along the broken plane indicated by the line 11-11 in FIG. 8,

FIG. 12 is another sectional View through the coin separator of FIG. 8, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line l212 in FIG. 8,

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a portion of a modified form of the coin separator of FIG. 8, and

PEG. 14 is a sectional view through the portion shown in FIG. 13, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line l4--l4 in FIG. 13.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 20 generally denotes a frame for one embodiment of coin separator that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention. That frame is generally rectangular in elevation, and it has vertically-directed flanges 22 and 24 at the left-hand and right-hand edges thereof. A slot 26 of arcuate configuration is formed in the upper left-hand corner of frame 20, and that slot is thereof.

best shown in FIG. 3. A second arcuate slot 23 is formed in the frame 20, and that slot is below and to the right of the slot 26. A short slot 39 of arcuate configuration is provided in the frame 28 to the right of the slots 26 and 28. A circular opening 32 is provided in the frame 2% to the right of the slot 3% and a horizontally-directed slot 34 is provided in that frame below the level of the slots 26 and 28.

' A circular opening 36 is provided in the frame 2t), and that opening is below and in general vertical registry with the space between slot 3% and the circular opening 32. A second circular opening 38 is provided in the frame 2% below and somewhat to the right of the opening 36. The numeral 40 denotes an opening of rectangular configuration which is provided in the frame 26 at a point which 7 is disposed below and to the right of the opening 33.

The numeral 42 denotes a shouldered and headed pin which serves as a pivot. A recess 44 is formed in the front face of the frame 20 to dispose the forward end of 'the pivot 42 rearwardly from the plane of the front face of the frame 2%). The shoulder of the pin 42 is spaced at short distance rcarwardly of the rear face of the frame 20, and the head of that pin is spaced even further rearwardly of that rear face. A pin 46 extends rearwardly through the frame 20, but the greatest part of that pin is disposed forwardly of that frame. That pin has a small diameter portion immediately adjacent the frame 29 as indicated particularly by FIG. 3, has a larger diameter portion at the forward end thereof, as indicated particularly by FIG. 2, has a peripheral groove 48 adjacent that forward end, as indicated by FIG. 2, and has a threaded, rearwardly-extending portion which accommodates a nut. As indicated particularly by FIG. 1, a slot is formed in the front face of the pin 46 to accommodate the blade of a screw driver or other tool.

' The numeral denotes ears which are formed on the flange 24 of the frame 20; and preferably, those cars are punched out of that flange. The ears 53 are horizontallydirected, they extend toward the flange 22, and they are disposed in the upper half of the frame 29.

A spacer 52 of generally pentagonal configlraticn is disposed at the forward face of the frame 26 adjacent the inner face of the flange 24. A plate 54, which has a concave edge, is suitably held in abutting relation with the lower left-hand part of the front face of the frame 2%. The numeral 56 generally denotes a wall which is parallel to the lower part of the front face of the frame 2% but which is held forwardly of that face by the spacer 5?. and by the plate 54. That wall has a generally-horizontal opening 58 therein, and the upper edge of that opening is arcuate. An ear 60 is provided at the lower edge of that opening, and that ear extends upwardly and rearwardly from that edge, as indicated particularly by FIG. 4. That ear extends into the generally rectangular opening 43 in the frame 2% A second ear 62 is formed on that portion of the wall 56 which defines the opening 53, and that car is disposed to the left of the ear 69, as those ears are viewed in FIG. 1. The car 62 extends to, and abuts, the front face of the frame 2%, as indicated particularly by FIG. 4. t

The numeral 64 denotes a small plate which is generally elliptical in configuration. That plate has a slot 66 therein, and it also has an ear 63 at the lower end A fastener 69, such as a screw, can extend through the slot 65 in the member 64 and seat in a threaded opening in the wall 55; and the ear 63 extends rearwardly through the opening 58 to abut the front face of the frame 20. The wall 56 has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined edge 7 0 adjacent the top thereof, and that edge extends into the opening 34 in the frame 2%), as indicated by FIG. 3. A second edge '72 is provided at the top of the plate 56, and that edge inclines upwardly and forwardly from, whereas the edge 7% inclines upwardly and rearwardly from, the plane of the wall 56. Fasteners 74, shown as screws, extend through the wall 56, through 4 the spacer 52, and through the frame 245; and those fasteners have threaded ends which accommodate nuts 76. The screws and nuts '74 and 76, respectively, fixedly hold the wall 56 in position relative to the frame 20.

The numeral 78 generally denotes a cover plate which is provided for the lower portion of the front of the coin separator of FIGS. 1-6. That cover plate is preferably made of light-weight thin metal, and it has a rearwardiyoffset inclined portion 89. That portion is small in area, and the portion of the cover plate which offsets that portion serves as a runway for coins. The cover plate '73 also has a forwardly-offset, upwardly-directed portion 82; and that portion extends to the free edge of the flange 22, as indicated particularly by FIG. 2. The cover plate 755 is intended to accommodate unacceptable authentic coins and spurious coins, and to direct those coins toward a chute which will be alined with the opening at the bottom of the portion 82 and which will guide those coins to a coin cup at the exterior of the vending machine. Fasteners 84, shown as screws, are used to secure the cover plate '78 to the wall 56. a

The numeral 86 denotes a scavenging lever which is rotatably supported by the shouldered and headed pivot 42. As indicated particularly by FIG. 4, the lever 86 is L- shaped in cross section, and it has the horizontal arm thereof at the top thereof. The vertical arm of the lever 86 has an opening which accommodates the pin 46, and that vertical arm is disposed intermediate the shoulder of that pin and the rear face of the frame 24 A pin is secured to the scavenger lever 36, and that pin projects forwardly from that lever into the arcuate slot 30 in the frame 20 of the coin separator. The pin 85 is very much smaller than the slot 319, and hence that pin and that slot will permit rotation of the scavenging lever relative to the pin 42 and is disposed between the head and shoulder of that slot to limit rotation of that scavenging lever in the clockwise direction relative to the frame 26. A spring 53 is wound around the rearwardly extending portion of the pint 42 and is disposed between the head and shoulder of that pin. One end of that spring bears against the horizontally-directed arm of the scavenging lever 36, and the other end of that spring bears against the rearwardlyextending portion of the pin 46. That spring biases the scavenger lever 36 for rotation to its raised position, but it can yield to permit rotation of that lever to its lower postion. The scavenger lever 36 has an inclined portion 89 thereon; and that portion inclines downwardly and rearwardly, as indicated particularly by FIG. 4. The pin 46 is fixedly secured to the frame 2% by a nut it? which threads onto the rearwardly-extending portion of the pin 46 and which is shown in PEG. 4. A washer 91 is interposed between the nut 99 and a shoulder adjacent the rear of the pin 46; and that washer overlies part of the rear face of the vertical arm of the lever 86.

The numeral $2 denotes a generally-pentagonal plate which has elongated slots 5 therein, all as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3; and that plate abuts the rear face of the frame 2% Those slots accommodate fasteners 93,

such as screws, which extend forwardly into, and seat in, threaded openings in the frame 29. The plate 92 has a threaded opening therein, and that opening accommodates the reduced-diameter threaded end of a sleeve-like hou ing 94. That housing has a large wrench-receiving end, and an internal thread 5% is provided in that Wrenchreceiving end. A shoulder 93 is provided in the reduceddiameter threaded end of the housing 94. A plunger is disposed Within the reduced-diameter end of the housing 94, and that plunger has a flange which can abut the shoulder 94% to limit movement of that plunger outwardly of the housing 94. Also, the plunger 1% has a small diameter protuberance which extends into a helical compression spring 1152. A set screw 1%4 can be threaded into the internal thread 96 to prevent accidental separation of the spring MP2 and of the plunger 1% from the housing )4.

It will be noted from FIG. 5 that the conical face of the plunger 190 extends an appreciable distance beyond the inner end of the housing 94. As a result it will be the plunger 100, and not the housing 94, that will receive coins to be tested. It will also be noted from FIG. 5 that the conical face of the plunger 1% does not play any part in the securing of that plunger within the housing 94 and does not, in the absence of a coin, limit the extent to which that plunger can move relative to that housing. In addition it will be noted from FIG. 5 that the apex angle of the plunger 101 is approximately ninety degrees.

The numeral 106 denotes a gate for the coin separator of FIGS. 16; and that gas has a plate 108 secured to the rear face thereof by fasteners 110, such as screws. That plate has a concave edge, and that concave edge confronts the plunger held by the housing 94. The concave edge of the plate 198 merges into a verticallydirected portion that extends downwardly below the level of the plunger 100. The gate 1116 has slots 112 to accommodate the screws 110; and those slots facilitate adjustment of the position of the plate 108 relative to the gate 196.

The gate 106 has an ear 114. formed thereon, adjacent the upper central pant thereof, and that ear is conveniently formed by punching it out of that gate. The punching operation also forms an opening 12% in that gate. A pivot 118 is fixedly secured to the car 114, and that pivot rotatably secures a roller 116 to that ear. Portions of the ear 114, of the roller 116 and of the pivot 118 extend rearwardly through the opening 32 in the frame 21} of the coin separator.

The gate 106 has an opening 122 therein; and that opening is adjacent the upper central part of that gate, and it inclines downwardly from upper right to lower left. That opening accommodates the front end of the pin 46 which is secured to the frame 20. A notch 124 is formed in the gate 106, and that notch extends upwardly from the lower edge of that gate. That notch is in register with the housing 94 which reciprocably supports the plunger 1%. A generally pentagonal plate 126 has elongated slots 128 therein, and that plate and those slots are substantially identical to the plate 92 and the slots 95 in FIG. 3. The slots 128 accommodate fasteners 134 such as screws, which seat in threaded openings in the gate 106. The plate 126 has a threaded opening therein, and that opening accommodates the reduced diameter threaded end of a sleeve-like housing 132. That housing has a large wrenchareceiving surface at the forward end thereof. The sleeve 132 is identical to the sleeve 94; and it has an internal shoulder 134 and has an internal thread 136. A plunger 138 which has a conical end and which has a radially-extending flange is telescoped within the sleeve 132. The flange of that pin can abut the shoulder 134 in the sleeve 132 to limit the extent to which that plunger can move inwardly toward the passageway defined by the frame 20 and by the gate 1&6. The plunger 138 has a small protuberance that extends into the helical compression spring 14!). A set screw 142 can be held by the internal thread 136 of the housing 132, and that set screw will prevent accidental separation of the plunger 138 and the spring 141) from that housing.

The numeral 144 denotes a vertically-directed narrow slot which extends upwardly from the bottom edge of the gate 166; and that slot is disposed to the left of the notch 12.4, as that slot and notch are viewed in FIG. 1. A runway 146 has a vertically-directed boss 14% thereon, and that boss can be disposed snugly within the slot 144. A fastener 150, shown as a screw, can seat in a threaded opening in the boss 14$ and thereby hold the runway 146 in assembled relation with the gate 166. As indicated particularly by FIG. 3, the runway 146 extends toward, but terminates immediately short of, the plunger 1% held 'by .the slecve-like housing 14.

The vertical position of the runway 146 can be adjusted by loosening and tightening the screw 151 The positions of the plungers 100 and 138 relative to each other and rel- 6 ative to the concave edge of the plate 168 can be adjusted by loosening the screws 93 and and moving the slotted plates 92 and 126 relative to those screws. The apexes of the plungers and 13%; should be spaced from the concave edge on the plate 108 a distance that is just slightly less than the longest straight-line distance from the inner face of the rim 2.12 of the coin 210 in FIG. 5 to any part of the outer face of the rim of that coin. With such spacing, the apexes of the plungers 100 and 138 will be disposed just inwardly of the inner face of the rim 212 of the coin 211i; and with such spacing the conical faces of those plungers will apply forces to the rim 212 of that coin which will tend to move that coin away from the concave edge of the plate 108. Such movement is desirable because it will facilitate the separation of rimequipped coins from thick coins which do not have rims.

The numeral 154 denotes an arcuate slot that is formed in the gate 106, and that slot is similar to and is coextensive with the slot 28 in the frame 20. A second arcuate slot 156 is disposed above and somewhat to the left of the slot 154; and the slot 156 is, in part, similar to and coextensive with the slot 26 in the frame 211. A pivot 158 is secured to the gate 106 at a point intermediate the slots 154 and 156; .and that pivot extends forwardly from that gate. That pivot can conveniently be a rivet. A slot 160 is provided in the gate 1% adjacent the left-hand edge of that gate, and that slot extends horizontally inwardly from that edge. A disc 162 is releasably secured to the gate 106 adjacent the slot 160 by a fastener 164 which extends through the slot 160 and seats within a threaded opening in the disc 162. Loosening of the screw 164 permits the disc 162 to be moved back and forth relative to the slot 160.

The gate 1% has a bent edge 166 disposed above that slot; and that edge inclines upwardly and forwardly from the plane of the gate 166, as emphasized particularly by FIG. 4. That edge will provide a funnel-like coin entrance for the coin separator.

The numeral 168 generally denotes a cradle which can be used with the coin separator of the present invention to separate coins in accordance with their diameters. That cradle has a hub 174 and that hub rotatably engages the pivot 158. A counter weight 172 is secured to the cradle 168, and that counter weight biases the cradle 168 for rotation in the counter clockwise direction in FIG. 1. The cradle has ears 174 and 176 which extend rearwardly through the slots 156 and 154, respectively, in the gate 106. A C-washer 178 is removably seated within an annular groove in the forward end of the pivot 158; and that C-washer prevents accidental separation of that cradle from that pivot.

The numeral 181 denotes a small plate which has an car 182 at the upper end thereof. That plate is vertically directed, and the ear 182 is horizontally directed, as indicated particularly by FIG. 1. A threaded opening in the gate 166 accommodates a fastener 184, such as a screw; and that fastener holds the car 132 on the plate 18% Within the opening 122 in that gate. That ear extends toward and terminates immediately adjacent the frame 21 The numeral 186 denotes a bracket with forwardlyextending ears; and that bracket is mounted on the gate 1% immediately adjacent the lower end of the slot 154. A fastener 18% fixedly secures the bracket 186 to the outer face of the gate 166. That bracket rotatably supports a feeler wire 1%, and the upper end of that wire inclines forwardly and upwardly into the slot 156 in the gate 1116. Part of the cradle 168 normally underlies the upper end of the feeler wire 1% to hold the tip of that feeler wire out of the passageway defined by the gate 1116 and by the frame 213; but when the cradle 168 rotates in the clockwise direction, the tip of that feeler wire will be freed for movement into that passageway. A weight 192 is secured to the lower end of the feeler wire 1% to bias the tip of that feeler wire for movement into the said passageway.

The feeler wire 1% is intended to extend into holes or severe surface deformaties in slugs or spurious coins.

The numeral 194 denotes ears which are formed on the gate 1%; and those cars are adjacent the right-hand edge of that gate. Those ears are horizontally-directed, and they are engageable with the upper face of the upper ear 5t) and with the lower face of the lower ear Sit on the flange 24. The ears 1% have openings therein, and those openings can be alined with openings in the ears 50, and

V a vertically directed pivot 196 extends through the alined openings in those cars to hold the gate til-5 for rotation relative to the frame 29. A hairpin 2% seats within an annular groove adjacent the lower end of the pin 1% to prevent accidental separation of that pin from the ears 1%. A helical spring 206 surrounds the lower portion of the pin 1%; and one end of that spring bears against the flange 24 while the other end of that spring bears against the gate 196. As a result, that spring biases the gate M6 for rotation about the pin 1% into parallel relation with the frame 20. The disc 162 will normally engage the frame 2% and will thus limit the extent to which that gate can be rotated toward that frame.

The numeral 1% denotes an elongated lever which has ears Ztltl at the right-hand end thereof. Those ears have openings therein which accommodate the pin 1%; and, as a result, the lever 198 is rotatable relative to the gate 1% and rotatable relative to the frame 20. The left-hand end of the lever 198 is provided with a forwardly extending ear 2%, and that ear is immediately adjacent the slot 156 in the gate 106, Normally the free edge of the ear 2&2 lies in the plane of the inner face of the gate 106. However, when the gate is moved outwardly and away from the frame 20, the free edge of the ear 292 will extend inwardly of the inner face of the gate 1% and will serve to force any coins which have been held on the ears 174- and 176 of the cradle to be stripped off of those cars. The lever 1% has a further car 294, and that ear extends forwardly from the plane of that lever, as indicated particularly by FIG. 2. The upper edge of the lever 19% normally is disposed in register with the notch 48 in the pin 46; and the spring 296 biases that upper edge up into that groove. However, a downward pressure can be applied to the ear 204 to force that upper edge downwardly out of that groove to facilitate rotation of the lever 1% away from the frame 2'1] and away from the gate 106. Such rotation is desirable to permit opening of the gate res for cleaning purposes.

In the normal positions of the component parts of the coin separator of FIGS. 1-6, the gate 1% is parallel to, but is spaced a short distance away from, the frame 2% to define a coin-receiving passageway. Coins can be introduced into that passageway adjacent the inclined upper edge 166 on the gate 1636. If a coin is too small to be intercepted and held by the ears 174 and 176 on the cradle 163, that coin will fall downwardly between those cars and will fall toward the rearwardly-inclined edge ill on the wall 56. That edge will guide that coin forwardly into the portion 552 of the cover plate '78; and thereupon that coin will fall downwardly into a chute which will conduct it to the coin cup at the exterior of the vending machine. If a coin is too large, that coin will come to rest on the ear 1% of cradle 163 and on the ear 182 of plate 18th or on the ears 174, 1'76 and 132. In any event, such a coin will be unable to move past the ear 182 on the plate ltltl. To remove any such coin, the patron will press down on a lever at the exterior of the vending machine which will force the scavenger lever 86 to rotate downwardly about the pivot 42; Such downward rotation will cause the inclined portion $9 to engage the roller 116 and thereby force the gate 1% to move away from the frame Ztl. As that gate moves, the opening will telescope over the ear 2% on the lever 1% and that car will force any coin which tends to move with the cradle id? to be stripped off of that cradle. Any such coin would fall downwardly and be guided into the forwardly offset portion 82 of the cover plate 78 by the upwardly and rearwardly inclined edge 7 ti on the plate 56.

if a coin 21d of the proper diameter and weight is introduced into the passageway between the gate 1% and the frame 2d, the cradle 168 will hold that coin and will rotate in the clockwise direction until that coin rolls off of the ear 176 and rolls onto the runway 146. As that coin rolls down that runway it will move into the space between the concave edge of the plate 1% and the upper face of the runway 146. As that coin rolls off of the lower end of that runway it will engage the concave edge of the plate 168 and be forced to start moving downwardly. Almost immediately, the outer face of the rim 212 of that coin will move into engagement with the conical faces of the plungers lltltl and 138 which are held within the sleeve-like housings 4 and 132. The cradle Tint; is important in absorbing a good deal of the kinetic energy which the coin 21d may have accumulated in the free fall that caused it to approach the inclined upper edge 166 on the gate 166. This absorption of kinetic energy must be accomplished if the plungers lllltl and 138 are to have an adequate opportunity to test inserted coins for the presence or absence of rims. The runway 146 is important in holding the coin 21% and in forcing that coin to follow a generally-horizontal path prior to the engagement of that coin with the plungers tilt and 138.

The normal positions of the plungers ltlil and 138 are shown in FIG. 6; and the apexes of those plungers are spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of the rim 212 of the coin 21-0. As a result, that rim mustact upon the conical faces of the plungers and 13-8 and force those plungers to compress the springs 1M and and to move sufficiently far apart to enable that rim to pass between the apexes of those faces. The ninety-degree apex angles of those conical faces facilitate separating movement of those plungers by the inserted coin.

The axis defined by the plungers Mill and 138 will be disposed just a small fraction of an inch inwardly of the rim 212 of the coin 21d; and as the springs Th2 and 14d urge the conical faces of the plungers 100 and 138 back toward each other, those conical faces will engage the inner edge of the rim 212, all as indicated by FIG. 5. The ninety degree apex angles of the conical faces of the plungers ltltl and 138 will enable that engagement to urge the coin 21% to move away from the concave edge of the plate 168. Such movement will not occur if a thick, rim-less coin is introduced into the coin separator, because only the interaction of a rim with the conical faces of plungers sea and 133 can provide this desirable result. Once the coin has been moved away from the concave edge of the plate 1%, the apexes of the plungers 100 and 133 will tend to hold the rim of that coin as that coin tends to move downwardly that coin being forced to move downwardly because of the vertically-directed downwardly-extending lower end of the concave edge of the plate 103. The coin 218 will start to swing, in pendant fashion, in the clockwise direction; and as its rim swings up into engagement with the underside of the runway 146, the weight and momentum of that coin will be great enough to force the springs 1632 and 146 to yield sufficiently to let the rim 212 of that coin pass between the apexes of the plungers 1% and 138. The coin will then move to the left and ride over the ear es in the plate 64; and thereafter that coin will fall onto the concave edge of the plate 54 and be guided to a chute, not shown, which will extend to the cash box within the vending machine.

The path of a rimmed coin of the proper size and weight is denoted by the dashed line in FIG. 3. That coin is intercepted by the cradle 163, is transferred to the runway 146, is forced to move downwardly into engagement with the plungers 3% 138 by the plate 108, is caused to swing to the left by being held by those plungers, is caused to move past ear (:3, and is caused to follow the concave edge of the plate 58.

The approximately ninety degree apex angles of the plungers 190 and 138 are important because they facilitate the action of the coin in forcing the rim 212 between the apexes of those plungers as the coin is intercepted by those plungers. Those apex angles also are important in facilitating the movement of the coin bodily away from the concave edge of the plate 108. In addition, those apex angles are important in facilitating the freeing of that coin from those plungers.

A coin that does not have a proper rim will not be caught and swung by the plungers 109 and 138. Instead, such a coin will fall almost straight downwardly until it engages the ear 60 and is guided by that car into the space between the wall 56 and the cover plate 78. That coin will then engage the inclined offset at the upper edge of the portion 80 and will roll to the left, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3. As that coin rolls off of that inclined offset it will fall into a chute which will conduct it to the coin cup at the exterior of the vending machine. From this it will be apparent that the coin separator of FIGS. 1-6 can separate rimmed coins from rim-less coins of the same diameter, electric conductivity and resilience.

In FIG. 7, a modification of part of the coin separator of FIGS. l6 is shown. In that modification, the movable plunger jltitl and its housing 94 and associated parts have been removed; and a pin 224 with a conical face has been fixedly set within an opening 222 in the frame 20. The principal difference between the structure shown by FIG. 7 and the structure shown by FIGS. 5 and 6 is the use in FIG. 7 of just one movable rim-engaging member. The principal use of the structure shown by FiG. 7 is in coin separators which are intended to accept and to separate a plurality of coins of different sizes. In such coin separators, testing equipment will occupy the space which the housing 94 occupies in FIGS. 1-6.

When the rim of a coin strikes the conical face of the pin 224, that coin will move toward the gate 108 and thereby make it possible for that rim to move past the apex of that pin. The plunger 138 will move outwardly of the coin passageway to permit that rim to move past the apex of the pin 224-; but that plunger will thereafter respond to the spring 14% to move back toward that coin passageway and intercept that rim. The coin will then swing, in pendant fashion, until the rim engages the undersurface of the runway 146 and is then freed from pin 224 and plunger l38-the latter again moving away from the coin passageway to enable the rim of the coin to move past the apex of the pin 224. That coin will then move past the ear 68 and fall onto the arcuate edge of plate 54.

Referring to FIGS. 8-12, the numeral 240 denotes a frame for another embodiment of coin separator that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention. That frame is generally rectangular in elevation, and it has vertically-directed flanges 242 and 244 at the left-hand and right-hand edges thereof. A pivot 246 with a head and shoulder is secured to the frame 240 adjacent the upper left-hand corner of that frame, as shown by FIG. 10. A slot 243 is formed in the frame 24f) below, and to the right of, the pin 246. A pin 250 is secured to the frame 24% above, and to the right of, the slot 248; and that pin extends forwardly and rearwardly from that frame. An opening 252 is provided in the lower portion of the frame 240, and that opening is rectangular in configuration; A second opening 254 is provided in the lower portion of the frame 240, and that opening is disposed to the left of, and on a line with,

the lower edge of the opening 252. Ears 258 are punched out of the flange 244, and those cars extend toward the flange 242.

An anvil 256 is mounted at the front face of the frame 240 adjacent the flange 244. That anvil will serve as a spacer between the frame 240 and a plate 386. The numeral 260 denotes a generally-rectangular opening in the frame 240; and that opening is below the level of the arcuate slot 248 in that frame.

A scavenger lever 264 is rotatably mounted on the headed pin 246, and the free end of that lever is disposed between the rear face of the plate 240 and the head of a pin 262. As a result, the free end of that scavenger lever can not move rearwardly relative to the frame 240. A spring 266 is wound around the pin 246, and one end of that spring bears against the horizontallydirected arm of the scavenger lever 264 while the other end of that spring bears against the rearwardly-extending portion of the pin 250. A nut 270 is used to lock the pin 250 in position relative to the frame 240. The numeral 268 denotes a pin which is carried by the scavenger lever 264; and that pin extends forwardly through an opening, not shown, in the frame 241). As a result, limited downward movement of the free end of the scavenger lever 264 is permitted. The numeral 272 denotes an inclined surface on the scavenger lever 264; and that inclined surface is similar to the inclined surface 89 on the scavenger lever 86 of FIGS. 1-6. The numeral 274- denotes a wiper blade that is rotaably secured to the frame 240 by means of the pin 250. The wiper blade 274- abuts the front face of the frame 240; and that wiper blade has an opening 276 therein. The opening 276 accommodates the forward end. of the pin 268 carried by the scavenger lever 264.

The numeral 278 denotes a gate; and the upper part of that gate is generally rectangular while the lower part of that gate is cut-away in the manner shown by FIG. 8. Ears 280 are provided on the gate 278, and those ears are disposed above the uppermost ear 258 and below the lowermost ear 258 on the flange 244. A pin 282 extends downwardly through alined openings in the ears 258 and 239 to hold the gate 278 for rotation relative to the frame 249. A spring 284 is wound so it can accommodate the pin 282 when that pin is set in position. The lower end of the spring 284 abuts the gate 278 and the middle loop of that spring abuts the flange 244. As a result, that spring biases the gate 278 for rotation toward the frame 240. A hairpin fastener 286 normally is seated within an annular groove in the lower end of the pin 282; and that hair-pin fastener prevents accidental separation of that pin from the ears 258 and 280. An ear 288 is formed on the gate 273, as shown by FIG. 9, and that ear is conveniently formed by punching it out of that gate. That ear rotatably supports a roller 29%, shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, and that roller is in register with the inclined surface 272 on the scavenger lever 264, shown in FIG. 11. As a result, when the scavenger lever is moved downwardly, the inclined surface 272 will engage the roller 290 and force the gate 278 to move outwardly and away from the frame 240.

A large opening 292, shown in FIG. 8, is formed in the gate 278; and the roller and the car, 299 and 288, respectively, extend rearwardly from that opening. That opening is generally rectangular and it is in the upper part of the gate 278. An opening 294 is provided in the gate 278, and part of that opening is shown is solid lines in FIG. 8 in the upper central area of that gate. That opening is generally pear-shaped, and its axis is horizontally inclined. An arcuate slot 296 is formed in the gate 278, and that slot is in the upper left-hand corner of that gate. An arcuate slot 298 is provided in the gate 278, and that slot is below the level of the slot 296. A vertically-directed slot 390 is formed in the gate 278; and that slot is below, and to the right of, the arcuate slot 298. A further vertically-directed slot 302 is provided in the gate 278 adjacent the lower edge of that gate, as shown by FIG. 8.

The numeral 304 denotes an ear which. is punched out of the upper part of the free edge of the gate 278, and which extends rearwardly toward the frame 240. A forwardly and upwardly inclined edge 306 is provided on the gate 278, and that edge is disposed above the level of the ear 364 of that gate. The numeral 3% denotes a pinlike pivot which is secured to the gate 278; and that pivot extends forwardly from the plane of that gate. That pivot rotatably supports a cradle 34d; and ears 342 and 34-3 on that cradle extend rearwardly from the plane of that cradle and, respectively, extend through tl e slots 2% and 298 in the gate 278. As a result, those ears extend into the passageway defined by the frame 2% and by the gate 278.

The numeral 310 denotes a runway which has a boss 312. That runway is identical to the runway for? in FIGS. 16; and a fastener 314, shown as a screw, can be used to secure that runway in any desired position along the length of the vertical slot Edit) in the gate 278. A second runway 316 is secured to the gate 278 adjacent the lower edge of that gate. That runway is disposed below, and in general vertical registry with, the runway 3M. A fastener 318 is fixedly secured to the gate 272"; to fixedly secure the left-hand edge of the runway 316 to that gate. The numeral 320 denotes a fastener which is fixedly secured to the right-hand end of the runway 316 and which can he loosened or tightened relative to the slot 302 in the gate to fix or to free the right-hand end of the runway 316.

A. plate 322, identical to the plate 92 in FIG. 3 is secured to the rear face of the frame 240. That plate has slots 324 therein and has a threaded opening therein. Fasteners 326, shown in the form of screws, extend forwardly through the slots 324 in the plate 322 and seat in openings in the frame 240. A sleeve-like housing 328 has a reduced-diameter threaded end and has a large wrench-receiving end. That housing is identical to the housing 94 in FIGS. 1-6. A plunger 329 with a conical face anda flange, not shown, is mounted for reciprocation within the housing 328.

The numeral 330 denotes a plate which has elongated slots 332 therein; and that plate is identical to the plate 126 in FiGS. l-6. Fasteners 334, shown as screws, extend through the slots 332 in the plate 334) and seat in threaded openings in the gate 278. That plate supports a housing 336 which is identical to the housing T32 in FIGS.

1-6; and a set screw 338 is associated with that housing.

That set screw will prevent accidental separation of the component parts of the housing 336 from that housing.

The numeral 344 denotes a bracket which is secured to the gate 278'below the level of the cradle 340, and that bracket has forwardly-extending ears.

normally underlies the feeler wire and holds the upper end of that feeler wire out of the slot 2%. However, when a coin rotates the cradle 34-9 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 8, that arm of that cradle will move out of the way and thereby permit the upper end of the feeler wire 348 to enter the slot 2%. A weight see at the lower end of that wire will bias that wire for such rotation; and hence the upper end of that wire will promptly move into the slot 2% when the cradle 34th rotates in the clockwise direction.

The cradle 340 has a hub 352, and that hub rotatably engages the pivot 3%. A C-washer 354 can be assembled with a groove in the forward end of the pivot 3% to maintain that cradle in engagement with that pivot. A weight 353 is secured to the cradle see, and that Weight biases that cradle for rotation in the counter clockwise direction.

, The numeral 356 denotes a plate which has an ear; and that plate is secured to the gate 278 adjacent slot 298 and opening 2%. The ear of that plate is denoted by the numeral 353, and it is shown, in FIG. 9, extending into the passageway between the gate 273 and the frame 246?. A fastener 36h, such as a screw, secures the plate 356 to til) 12 the gate 2'78; and that screw can be loosened to permit tilting of the plate 356 relative to the vertical.

The numeral 362 denotes a support which has ears 3-64; and those ears have openings which accommodate the hinge pin 282. The upper and lower faces of the ears 36 abut the lower face of the upper ear 258 and the upper face of the lower ear 258. The spring 284 has the upper end thereof bearing against the support 362; and that spring will bias that support for movement into parallel relationship with the gate 278 and with the frame 249.

An opening 366 is provided in the support 362, and that opening is intended to reduce the mass of that support. A spacer 368 is secured to the gate'2'78, and that spacer extends rearwardly toward the frame 240. That spacer will limit the movement of the gate 278 toward the frame 2%, and will normally coact with the spring 284 to hold the support 362 parallel to the frame 246. A permanent magnet 37d is fixedly secured to the support 352; and the pole faces of that magnet will confront but will be spaced from the frame 249.

A block 372 is fixedly secured to the support 362, and that block supports a knock-out plate 374. The free end of that plate is bent at right angles to the plane of the frame 2%, as indicated particularly by FIG. 9 and that free end extends toward that frame. That free end will remain substantially stationary as the gate 278 is moved outwardly. As a result that free end will efiectively strip coins off of the ears 342 and 343 of the cradle 346) as the gate 278 is moved outwardly. The numeral 376 denotes a pin which is carried by the block 372; and the numeral 378 denotes a fastener, such as a screw, which is carried by that block. That pin and that screw fixedly secure the knock-out plate 374 to the block 372, and thus to the support 362.. i

The plate 38 is disposed forwardly of the lower portion of the frame 246, and portions of that plate are sectioned in FIG. 10 while other portions of that plate are indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 10. The upper part of the right-hand edge of the plate 386 is coextensive with, and overlies, part of the anvil 256. Screws 332 extend through openings in the plate 386 and in the anvil 256 and in the frame 240; and nuts 384 are threaded onto those screws to lock the anvil 256 in position against accidental dislodgement.

The numeral 388 denotes an upper edge of the plate 386, and that edge inclines rearwardly and upwardly and extends into the opening zoo in the frame 240. An opening 3% is provided in the plate 3556, and a slot 3% also is provided in that plate; and that opening and that slot are indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 8. A plate 394 with a concave edge is secured to the rear face of the plate 386 by a pin that extends into the opening 3% to serve as a pivot for the plate 3%, and by a screw 4% which can be loosened or tightened to permit or prevent rotation of the plate 394 about that pin. The plate 3% has a tapered leading edge, as indicated particularly by FIG. 8.

The numeral 4% denotes an edge which is formed on the plate 386, and that edge extends upwardly and rearwardly toward the frame 240. An car 408 is formed on that edge, and that ear extends into the opening 252 on the frame 240. A further edge 410 is provided on the plage 386, and that edge also extends toward the frame 24- The numeral 462 denotes a triangular separator. That separator is locatedadjacent the bottom of the coin sepa rator, and it is secured to the frame 24% by one of two screws 422. That separator is between the plate 386 and the frame 240.

The numeral 412 denotes a runway for rejected coins, and that runway is shown in section in FIG. 11. Ears 4-14 are provided at the inner end of that runway, and one of those cars is shown in FIG. 11 Ears 416 also are provided for the runway 412, and those cars are disposed adjacent the outer face of that'runway. One of those s atters 13 ears is shown in FIG. 11. Screws 418 releasably secure the ears 414 to the wall 386; and screws 422 releasably secure the ears 416 to a cover plate 420. That cover plate is spaced from the plate 386 to accommodate rejected coins and slugs.

The distance between the leading edge of the plate 394 and the leading edge of the runway 316 can be adjusted by loosening the screw 4th] or the screw 320, or both, and then rotating that plate or that runway, or both. Once the desired spacing has been obtained, the screws 400 and 320 will be tightened to maintain it.

Coins that are directed to the coin separator of FIGS. 812 will be guided into the passageway between frame 240 and gate 278 by the inclined edge 306 on that gate. Undersize coins will pass between the ears 342 and 343 on cradle 340 and will fall down onto inclined edge 338, and that edge will guide those coins into the space between plate 386 and cover plate 420. Those coins will then pass through a rejected coin chute to a coin cup at the exterior of the vending machine. Oversize coins will be caught and held by ear 342 on cradle 340 and by the car 358 on plate 356, or will be caught and held by ears 342, 343 and 353. To free those coins, the patron will push a button or lever at the exterior of the vending machine and thereby move the scavenging lever 264 down. The inclined portion 272 on that scavenging lever will engage roller 290 and move the gate 278 outwardly; and the free edge of the knockout plate 374 will strip those coins ofl? of those cars. Those coins will then fall downwardly and engage the inclined edge 388, thereby being deflected into the space between plate 386 and cover plate 420. Magnetic coins will be held by the magnet 370; and those coins will be moved into the space between the plate 336 and the cover plate 429 by the action of wiper blade 274, scavenger lever 264, gate 278, and inclined edge 388 on plate 386. The overall result is that undersize, oversize, and magnetic coins and slugs will not be accepted.

Non-magnetic coins of the proper diameter and weight will be rejected it they have the wrong values of electrical conductivity. Such coins Will be intercepted by the ears 342 and 343 on the cradle 340 and will be transferred to the runway 310. If those coins have toomuch resistivity, they will be slowed down insufiiciently by eddy currents, and will rebound from the anvil 256 with such force that they will strike the leading edge of the plate 394 and fall back toward the edge 41h or the ear 408. Such coins will pass into the space between plate 336 and the cover plate 429 and will roll down the runway 412 toward the rejected coin chute. If those coins have too little resistivity, they will be slowed down so much by eddy currents that they will not reach the anvil 256 or will not rebound far enough to enter the passage between plate 394 and the plungers held by the housings 328 and 336. Such coins will be guided by edges 496 or 410 or by the ear 438 into the space between plate 386 and the cover plate 42% and will roll down the runway 412 toward the rejected coin chute.

Non-magnetic coins of the proper diameter and weight and electrical resistivity will be intercepted by the ears 342 and 343 on the cradle 34-!) and will be transferred to the runway 311i). The eddy currents will provide just enough slowing of those coins to enable those coins to rebound from the anvil and roll along the runway 316 and enter the passage between plate 394 and the plungers held by the housings 328 and 336. If the coins are rimless, they will fall downwardly to the left of the apex of the triangular separator M92 and thus pass to the rejected coin chute. If the coins are rimmed coins, the plungers held by the housings 328 and 386 will catch the rims on those coins and cause those coins to swing, in pendant i fashion, until they engage the underside of the runway 3116. Those coins will then fall to the right of the apex of the triangular separator 402 and then roll to the accepted coin chute.

The principal difference between the coin separator of FIGS. 1-6 and the coin separator of FIGS. 8-12 is that the latter coin separator has the permanent magnet 370 for eddy current testing. In other respects those coin separators are similar-both absorbing a good part of the kinetic energy of the coins before permitting those coins to engage the rim-testing plungers, both using spring-biased plungers with conical faces, and both using plates with concave edges that have vertically-directed portions at the lower ends thereof which extend downwardly below the levels of those plungers.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a portion of a gate 430 of a coin separator is shown; and that gate has a notch 432 in the lower edge thereof. An integral support and runway is denoted by the numeral 434, and it is secured to that gate by fasteners 436. That support and runway carries a sleeve-like housing 438 which is identical to the sleeve-like housing 132 in FIGS. 1-6. The integral support and runway shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is desirable because it reduces the number of separate parts that must be assembled with the gate of the coin separator, and it also reduces the number of adjustments that must be made during the assembling of the parts with that gate. This reduction in the number of parts, and this reduction in the number of adjustments, make the coin separator of FIGS. 13 and 14 particularly easy to disassemble and reassemble for cleaning purposes.

The action of the conical faces of the plungers and 138 in causing a rimmed coin to move away from the concave edge of the plate 108, and the action of the conical faces of the plungers in the housings 328 and 336 in causing a rimmed coin to move away from the concave edge of the plate 394 is quite striking-those coins seeming to jump away from those concave edges. That movement is important because it eliminates further frictional forces between those concave edges and those coins-with consequent full and free swinging movement of those coins toward the accepted coin path. In contrast, rim-less coins will not be caused to jump away from those concave edges and, instead, will move less freely and will fall toward the rejected coin path.

The coin separators of FIGS. l14 perform several tests on the coins inserted therein. For example, the cradles of those coin separators test the weights of those coins, and too-light coins will not be able to rotate those cradles. Those cradles also test the diameters of those coins, all as explained above. The magnet and anvil of FIGS. 8-14 test the electrical conductivities and resiliences of the inserted coins; and the plungers of the coin separators of FIGS. l14 test for the presence of rims on those coins. Further, by spacing the apexes of the plungers of those coin separators the proper distances from each other, the present invention makes it possible for those plungers to test the widths of the rims on coins. Moreover, by spacing the apexes of the plungers of those coin separators the proper distances from the adjacent runways, the present invention makes it possible for those plungers to test the thicknesses of the rims on coins. Specifically, by increasing the distance between the apexes on the confronting conical faces of a pair of plungers, the present invention can permit coins which have narrow rims to fall toward the rejected coin path. Also, by decreasing the distance between the apexes on the confronting conical faces of a pair of plungers and the edge of the adjacent runway, the present invention can permit coins which have thick rims to fall toward the rejected coin path. It will be noted that in each instance the coins are directed toward the rejected coin path and that the plungers then determine whether those coins will continue on toward that coin path or will be intercepted and swung toward the accepted coin path. Moreover, it will be noted that in each instance the plungers perform the last tests on the coins. Furthermore, it will be noted that in each instance prior to the time the coins engage the plungers, those coins will have their vertical falls checked and will be caused to move generally horizontally along a runway. The checking of the vertical falls of the coins reduces the kinetic energies in those coins, and the move ments of those coins along the runways tend to hold the kinetic energies in those coins to relatively small values. As a result, the plungers of the coin Separators of the present invention have a full opportunity to test for the presence, for the widths, and for the thicknesses of rims on the inserted coins.

To enable the plungers to reject coins that have reduced width rims-it is only necessary to rotate the housings for those plungers and thereby move those housings further apart. Also, the set screws which hold the springs within the housings for the plungers can be loosened to reduce the forces which the plungers can apply to the rims of the inserted coins.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described several preferred embodiments of the present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway, a rejected coin outlet for said coin passageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted on said first wall, a second housing that is mounted on said second wall, a plunger that is disposed Within and reciprocable relative to the first said housing, a second plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to said second housing, said housings holding said plungers so the axes of said plungers are coaxial, said plungers having the confronting faces thereof of conical configuration, said conical faces having apex angles of approximately ninety degrees, said plungers having stops thereon that coact with stops on said housings to limit movement of said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, springs that are disposed within said housings and that bias said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, set screws in said housings that can be adjusted to adjust the forces which said springs apply to said plungers to urge said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, said housings being adjustable relative to said Walls to' adjust the normal distance between said conical faces'of said plungers, the apexes of said conical faces of said plungers normally being close enough to each other to be engaged by authentic coins passing through said passageway, said springs yielding to permit an authentic coin to move said apexes far enough apart to pass between said plungers, a guide that is secured to one of said walls and that is disposed in said coin passageway and that has a concave edge with a horizontallydirected leading edge and with a vertically-directed trailing edge, said trailing edge extending downwardly below 1 the level of the apexes of said conical faces, said concave edge of said guide being spaced from said apexes of said plungers a distance slightly less than the longest straightline distanceb'etween the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin to be accepted by said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engage said conical faces of said plungers and to force saidapexes apart, said springs yielding to permit said apexes to move apart but thereafter urging said conical faces of said plungers toward the inner edges of said rim to cause said coin to move away from said concave edge of said guide, a generallyhorizontal runway disposed intermediate said plungers and said coin inlet and being adjacent said plungers, and a diameter-testing rotatable cradle that is intermediate said runway and said coin inlet and that intercepts inserted coins and directs said coins toward said runway, said cradle absorbing kinetic energy from said inserted coins and then transferring said coins to said runway, .saidrunway supporting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins can engage said plungers, said runway absorbing further kinetic energy from said coins and directing said coins toward said rejected coin outlet and toward said plungers, said runway tending to provide a uniform speed for said coins as they approach said plungers, said conical faces of said plungers engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin outlet, said rimmed coins swinging into engagement with the underside of said runway and thereby freeing themselves from said plungers, said plungers and said springs coacting to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

2. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway, a rejected coin outlet for said coin passageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted on said first wall, a second housing that is mounted on said second wall, a plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to the first said housing, a second plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to said second housing, said housings holding said plungers so the axes of said plungers are coaxial, said plungers having the confronting faces thereof of conical configuration, said plun ers having stops thereon that coact with stops on said housings rtO limit movement of said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, springs that are disposed within said housings and that bias said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, the apexes of said conical faces of said plungers normally being close enough to each other to be engaged by authentic coins passing through said passageway, said springs yielding to permit an authentic coin to move said apexes far enough apart to pass between said plungers a guide that is se cured to one of said walls and that is disposed in said coin passageway and that has a concave edge, said concave edge of said guide being spaced from said apexes of said plungers a distance slightly less than the longest straight-line distance between the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin to he accepted by said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engage said conical faces of said plungers and to force said apexes apart, said springs yielding to permit said apexes to move apart but thereafter urging said conical faces of said plungers toward the inner edges of said rim to cause saidcoin to move away from said concave edge of said guide, a generally-horizontal runway disposed intermediate said plungers and said coin inlet and being adjacent said plungers, and a diameter-testing rotatable cradle that is intermediate said runway and said coin inlet and that intercepts inserted coins and directs said coins toward said runway, said cradle absorbing kinetic energy from said inserted coins and then transferring said coins to said runway, said runway supporting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins can engage said plungers, said runway directing said coins toward said rejected coin outlet and toward said plungers, said conical faces of said plungers engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin outlet, said rimmed coins swinging into engagement with the underside of said runway and thereby freeing themselves from said plungers, said plungers and said springs coacting to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

3. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway,

a rejected coin outlet for said coirrpassageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted 17 on said first wall, a second housing that is mounted on said second wall, a plunger that is disposed within and reoiprocable relative to the first said housing, a second plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to said second housing, said plungers having the confronting faces thereof of conical configuration, springs that are disposed within said housings and that bias said conical faces of said plungers toward each other, the apexes of said conical faces of said plungers normally being close enough to each other to be engaged by authentic coins passings through said passagewa said springs yielding to permit an authentic coin to move said apexes far enough apart to pass between said plungers, a guide that is secured to one of said walls and that is disposed in said coin passageway and that has an edge, said edge of said guide being spaced from said apexes of said plungers a distance slightly less than the longest straight-line distance between the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin to be accepted by said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engage said conical faces of said plungers and to force said apexes apart, said springs yielding to permit said apexes to move apart but thereafter urging said conical faces of said plungers toward the inner edges of said rim to cause said coin to move away from said edge of said guide, a generally-horizontal runway disposed intermediate said p-lungers and said coin inlet and being adjacent said plungers, said runway sup porting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins can engage said plungers, said runway directing said coins toward said rejected coin outlet and toward said plungers, said conical faces of said plungers engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin outlet, said rimmed coins swinging into engagement with the underside of said runway and thereby freeing themselves from said plungers, said plungers and said springs coacting to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

4. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway, a rejected coin outlet for said coin passageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted on said first wall, a second housing that is mounted on said second wall, a plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to the first said housing, a second plunger that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to said second housing, said plungers having the confronting faces thereof of conical configuration, the apexes of said conical faces of said plungers normally being close enough to each other to be engaged by authentic coins passing through said passageway and responding to an authentic coin to move apart to permit said coin to pass therebetwe'en, a generally-horizontal runway disposed intermediate said plungers and said coin inlet and being adjacent said plungers, said runway supporting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins can engage said plungers, said runway tending to provide a uniform speed for said coins as they approach said plungers, said conical faces of said plungers engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin outlet, said plungers tending to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

5. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said Wall'to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway, a rejected coin outlet for said coin passageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted on said one wall, a rim-engaging element that is disposed within and reciprocable relative to said housing, said rimengaging element having a face of conical configuration, a spring that is disposed within said housing andthat biases said conical face of said rim-engaging element toward said coin passageway, said conical face of said rimengaging element normally extending into the path of authentic coins, said spring yielding to permit an authentic coin to move said rim-engaging element far enough to pass by the apex of said conical face on said rim-engaging element, a guide that is secured to one of said walls and that is disposed in said coin passageway and that has an edge, said edge of said guide being spaced from the apex of said rim-engaging element a distance slightly less than the longest straight-line distance between the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin to be accepted by said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engage said conical face of said rim-engaging element and to force said rim-engaging element to move away from said coin, said spring yielding to permit said rim-engaging element to move away from said coin but thereafter urging said conical face of said rim-engaging element toward the inner edges of said rim to cause said coin to move away from said edge of said guide, a generally-horizontal runway disposed intermediate said rim-engaging element and said coin inlet and being adjacent said rim-engaging element, said runway supporting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins can engage said rim-engaging element, said runway directing said coins toward said rejected coin outlet and toward said rim-engaging element, said conical face of said rim-engaging element engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin inlet, said rimmed coins swinging into engagement with the underside of said runway and thereby freeing themselves from said rim-engaging element, said rim-engaging element tending to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

6. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet for said coin passageway, a rejected coin outlet for said coin passageway, a coin inlet for said coin passageway, a housing that is mounted on said one wall, a rim-engaging element that is disposed Within and reciprocable relative to said housing, said rim-engaging element having a face of conical configuration, said conical face having an apex angle of approximately ninety degrees, a spring that is disposed with said housing and that biases said conical face of said rimengaging element toward said coin passageway, said conical face of said rim-engaging element normally extending into the path of authentic coins, said spring yielding to permit an authentic coin to move said rim-engaging element far enough to pass by the apex of said conical face on said rim-engaging element, a guide that is secured to one of said walls and that is disposed in said coin passageway and that has an edge, said edge of said guide being spaced from the apex of said rim-engaging element a distance slightlytless than the longest straight-line distance between the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin to be accepted by said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engage said conical face of said rimengaging element and to force said rim-engaging element to move away from said coin, said spring yielding to permit said rim-engaging element to move away from said coin but thereafter urging said conical face of said rim-engaging element toward the inner edges of said rim to cause said coin to move away from said edge of said guide, said conical face of said rim-engaging element engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin iniet, said rim-engaging element tending to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move sub stantially continuously through said passageway.

7'. In a coin separator which has a wall, a second wall spaced from the first said wall to define a. coin passageway, an accepted coin outlet, a rejected coin outlet, a coin inlet, a rim-engaging member that is mounted on one of said walls but is movable relative to said one wall and that has a pontion thereof normally disposed in said coin passageway, said portion of said rim-engaging member being engaged by authentic coins in. said passageway and responding to said authentic coins to move out of the. path of said coins, av generally-horizontal runway disposed intermediate said rim-engaging member and said coin inlet and adjacent said rim-engaging member, and an element that is intermediate said runway and said coin inlet and that directs inserted coins toward said runway and toward said rim-engaging member, said runway supporting inserted coins and permitting said coins to roll therealong shortly before said coins engage said rimengaging member, said runway directing said coins toward said rejected coin outlet and tending to provide a uniform speed for said coins as they approach said rimengaging member, said rim-engaging member engaging the inner edges of the rims of rimmed coins and causing said coins to swing. away from said rejected coin outlet and toward said accepted coin inlet, said rim-engaging member being adjacent said. rejected coin outlet, said rim-engaging, member tending to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move' substantially continuously through said passageway.

8. In a coin separator that has a wall, a second wall that is. spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, a housing that is secured to one of said walls and that holds a rim-engaging element for movement rela- :tive to said one wall, said rim-engaging element having a conical face that is adapted to extend into said coin passageway, a resilient element that normally holds said conical face of said rim-engaging element within said coin passageway but that can yield to permit movement of said conical face out of said coin passageway, and a guide that is spaced from the apex of said conical face a distance slightly less than the longest distance between the inner edge andthe outer edge of the rim of a coin inserted in said coin separator to force an authentic coin to engagesaid conicai face of said rim-engaging element andto force said rim-engaging element to move away from said coin, said conical face of said rim-engaging element thereafter moving toward the inner edge of the rim of a coin to cause said coin to jump away from said edge on said guide, said rim-engaging element tendingto forcerimmed coins to change direction while permitt-ing said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

9. In a coin separator that has a wall, a second wall that is spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, a housing that is held adjacent one of said walls and that holds a rim-engaging element for movement relative to said one wall, said rim-engaging element having a face that is adapted to project outwardly from said housing and to extend into said coin passageway, a resilient element that normally holds said face of said rim-engaging element within said coin passageway but that can yieldto permit movement of said face out of said passageway, and a guide that is spaced from the apex of said facea distance slightly less than the longest distance between-the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin inserted in said coin separator to force authentic coins to move said rim-engaging element, and a generally horizontally-directed runway adjacent to but forwardly of said rim-engaging element, said runway permitting coins to roll therealong to provide a uniform speed for .said' coins as they approach said rim-engaging element, said face of said rim-engaging element projecting far enough from said housing to enable said housing to be disposed whol'ly out of the paths of coins moving through said passageway.

10. In a coin separator that has a wall, a second wall that is spaced from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, a housing that is held adjacent one of said walls and that holds a rim-engaging element for movement relative to said one wall, said rim-engaging element having a conical face that is adapted to project outwardly from said housing and to extend into said coin passageway, a resilient element that normally holds said conical face of said rim-engaging element within said coin passageway but that can yield to permit. movement of said conical face out of said passageway, and a guide that is spaced from the apex of said conical face a distance slightly less than the longest distance between the inner edge and the outer edge of the rim of a coin inserted in. said coin separator to force authentic coins to move said rim-engaging element, said coin passageway being substantially clear adjacent to but forwardly of said rim-engaging element, said conical face of said rim-engaging element projecting far enough from said housing to enable said housing to be disposed wholly out of the paths of coins moving through said passageway.

11. In a coin separator that has a coin passageway and a housing that holds a rim-engaging element for movement relative to said coin passageway, said rim-engaging element having a conical face that is adapted to extend into said coin passageway, said conical face normally lying in the path of authentic coins in said passageway and responding to the movement of an authentic coin in said passageway to move away from said authentic coin and thereby permit said authentic coin to move into register with the apex of said conical face, said apex of said conical face thereafter intercepting a further portion of the rim of said authentic coin and causing said authentic.

coin to change direction while permitting said authentic coin to move substantially continuously through said passageway, said coin passageway being substantially clear adjacent to said rim-engaging element so coins can approach and leave said rim-engaging element at determinable speeds.

12. In a coin separator that has a wall, a second wall that is spaced-from the first said wall to define a coin passageway, a housing that is secured to one of said walls and that holds a rim-engaging element for movement relative to said coin passageway, said rim-engaging element having a face that normally extends into said coin passageway to receive and to be moved laterally of said coin passageway by an authentic coin, and a member that receives inserted coins and causes said coins to change.

direction and to move in a substantially horizontal direction shortly prior to the time said coins engage said rimengaging element, said member tending to provide a uniform speed for said coins as they approach said rim-engaging element, said rim-engaging element havinga face thereon which can coact with inserted coins to subtend the same angle irrespective of any movement of'said'rimengaging element laterally of said coin passageway, said rim-engaging element tending to force rimmed coins to change direction while permitting said coins to move substantially continuously through said passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,508 Schade Mar. 8, 1892 999,124 Reith' July 25, 1911 1,060,307 Bailey Apr. 29, 1913 1,676,914 Paulson July 10, 1928 1,730,291 Rakowitzky Oct. 1, 1929 1,831,217 Wistoft Nov. 10, 1931 2,422,867 Wallin June 24, 1947 2,588,510 Foushee et al Mar. 11, 19.52

FOREIGN PATENTS 846,076 France May 27, 1939 871,208 Germany July 8, 1949 575,599 Italy Apr. 15, 1958 

11. IN A COIN SEPARATOR THAT HAS A COIN PASSAGEWAY AND A HOUSING THAT HOLDS A RIM-ENGAGING ELEMENT FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID COIN PASSAGEWAY, SAID RIM-ENGAGING ELEMENT HAVING A CONICAL FACE THAT IS ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO SAID COIN PASSAGEWAY, SAID CONICAL FACE NORMALLY LYING IN THE PATH OF AUTHENTIC COINS IN SAID PASSAGEWAY AND RESPONDING TO THE MOVEMENT OF AN AUTHENTIC COIN IN SAID PASSAGEWAY TO MOVE AWAY FROM SAID AUTHENTIC COIN AND THEREBY PERMIT SAID AUTHENTIC COIN TO MOVE INTO REGISTER WITH THE APEX OF SAID CONICAL FACE, SAID APEX OF SAID CONICAL FACE THEREAFTER INTERCEPTING A FURTHER PORTION OF THE RIM OF SAID AUTHENTIC COIN AND CAUSING SAID AUTHENTIC COIN TO CHANGE DIRECTION WHILE PERMITTING SAID AUTHENTIC COIN TO MOVE SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID COIN PASSAGEWAY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR ADJACENT TO SAID RIM-ENGAGING ELEMENT SO COINS CAN APPROACH AND LEAVE SAID RIM-ENGAGING ELEMENT AT DETERMINABLE SPEEDS. 